Senses Will Be Showing In Athens On December 7th!

Well next week is my big art show.  I'm very excited about it going up and I sure hope you (and all of the friends you've told) can make it.  Don't worry about buying anything, I understand times are tough.  However if you do buy something, I plan on donating a portion to the Canadian Institute in Greece's library.  It allows students to study in a great environment with great material.  So come on out, say hello, and maybe touch some art work, I know you want to.

Click here for more information about the show.

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Bathroom Decorations

I love a good restaurant bathroom that looks exactly like every other restaurant bathroom except for one small detail.  Sometimes it's a light fixture, sometimes it's a small pot of plants, and sometimes it's a piece of art, but I always apparetiate the effort.

Click here to check out the latest Bathroom I've Been Too.

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Mike Tyson Wrote The Lyrics... Sort Of

This'll be stuck in my head for a few days.

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Signs I Like

 Batman live in Bruges... Culture has no limits.

 I love this mural.

I'm not sure what this says, but I assume it's worth more than "spit".

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Chris's Etiquette Tips

Don't say "That's F---ed up!" when referring to the way someone does business, talks, walks, dances, eats, combs his/her hair, dresses, listens, sleeps, or describes his childhood memories.  In fact there are rarely any occasion where such a reaction is acceptable.  If you do find yourself about to say such a thing just remember, you're just as f---ed up as they are only in a different way.

This is just another of my many etiquette tips.

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Senses Will Be Showing In Athens On December 7th!

Some people have sent me e-mail telling me that I shouldn't post my art online.  They tell me "no one will come to the show if they can see it online".  Is this true, are you collecting my art on your computer so you don't have to come out to a fun night of art and nice people?  That's a little crazy if you ask me.  I think it would be good for you to come out to the Canadian Institute in Greece on December 7th and meet some nice people and see art that isn't on a computer monitor.

Click here for more details about the show.

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Crazy Art I Saw In Belgium - Part 7

I'm no art expert at all.  Sure I make art all the time, but frankly I have no idea what's good art and what's bad art. I just make things that I like and hope others feel the same way.  On my recent trip to Belgium I came across a lot of art, and much of this art was a little strange to me.  I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just saying that I don't understand the narrative that the artist was trying to get across.

Sure half a horse is a strange idea for a piece of art, but not that strange.  Why not make his saddle look like two planks of wood making for a very uncomfortable place to sit?  That's strange, wouldn't you say?  The thing is this piece of art goes from kind of strange, to very strange, to not strange at all, then back to strange again.  After dealing with the shock of being puzzled by this piece I decided to read the plaque next to it.  Apparently back in the old days a common torture was to make men sit on two planks of wood, similar to the ones on this horse.  They would have to sit on the planks and would sometimes have weights on their ankles, not fun.  So this piece of art is supposed to represent that torture.  See, it was kind of strange (a half a horse), then really strange (the wooden saddle), then not strange at all (a little piece of history), finally strange again (why would you want a piece of art representing that kind of torture?).

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Crazy Art I Saw In Belgium - Part 6

I'm no art expert at all.  Sure I make art all the time, but frankly I have no idea what's good art and what's bad art. I just make things that I like and hope others feel the same way.  On my recent trip to Belgium I came across a lot of art, and much of this art was a little strange to me.  I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just saying that I don't understand the narrative that the artist was trying to get across.

When I first approached this statue I thought the guy was holding a large severed hand.  Then I got a little closer and I doubted that anybody would create such a strange statue in a large public square.  Then I got even closer and realized that, yes in fact, someone had decided to depict a man throwing another mans severed hand.

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Crazy Art I Saw In Belgium - Part 5

I'm no art expert at all.  Sure I make art all the time, but frankly I have no idea what's good art and what's bad art. I just make things that I like and hope others feel the same way.  On my recent trip to Belgium I came across a lot of art, and much of this art was a little strange to me.  I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just saying that I don't understand the narrative that the artist was trying to get across.

How come no one finds naked babies offensive if their situated in a fountain?  How come no one cares about the abuse of sea turtle either?  If I recreated this statue in photographic form, even using photoshop as to not hurt any children or turtles, I would have the authorities at my door in a matter of minutes.  However if I sculpt this, put it outside for the public to see, next to a fake pond, it's art.

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Crazy Art I Saw In Belgium - Part 4

I'm no art expert at all.  Sure I make art all the time, but frankly I have no idea what's good art and what's bad art. I just make things that I like and hope others feel the same way.  On my recent trip to Belgium I came across a lot of art, and much of this art was a little strange to me.  I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just saying that I don't understand the narrative that the artist was trying to get across.

Many cities all over the world have a piece of art that they are well known for.  Paris has the Mona Lisa, Rome has the Trevi Fountain and Brussels has Manneken Pis.  You would hope that the name was an unfortunate choice for a beautiful piece of art, but not so.  This statue of a little boy peeing is the symbol of not just the city of Brussels, but this entire country.

People crowd around this statue and line the streets wanting to glimpse an artistic rendition of a little boy taking a wiz.

 Even large corporations use it to advertise.  This coke machine has to be one of the worst ideas I've ever seen.  I'm not sure if a little boy peeing into a coke bottle is really the image you want to promote.

 Local restaurants use it as well.  I wonder what a french fry extrudes, mashed potatoes, mayonnaise, if he's unhealthy maybe ketchup?

You pretty much can't turn a corner without seeing a rendition of a little boy peeing.  It makes me feel uncomfortable as a grown man, and makes me feel like I have to pee pretty much constantly.

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Signs I Like

 That Sod must be awesome.

I love signs for restaurants that are dwarfed by signs for drinks.

If I ever move to Ghent, this is where I want to live.

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Chris's Etiquette Tips

If someone whispers in your ear "Look, there's the president of (Insert any country name)."  Don't yell: "I've always wanted to meet that guy, do you really think that's his real wife?"

Do I have more tips?  You bet I do.

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Crazy Art I Saw In Belgium - Part 3

I'm no art expert at all.  Sure I make art all the time, but frankly I have no idea what's good art and what's bad art. I just make things that I like and hope others feel the same way.  On my recent trip to Belgium I came across a lot of art, and much of this art was a little strange to me.  I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just saying that I don't understand the narrative that the artist was trying to get across.

This might be one of the first pieces of modern art that I was able to "figure out".  Sure it looks like a random grouping of steel beams and half circles but look closer.  I think it's and octopus. I'm not sure why an office complex would want a giant steel octopus, but I can't argue that they are one of the creepiest cool animals in the world.

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Senses Will Be Showing In Athens On December 7th!

So maybe you don't live in Greece (or close enough to commute), maybe you live in Delaware, Ottawa, or Kalamazoo.  That doesn't mean you can't help me promote my art show premiering at the Canadian Institute in Greece on December 7th.  Why not tell a friend about it, maybe they have friends or family nearby.  They would enjoy a night out filled with culture and fun art, wouldn't they.  Why would you want to deny those nice people you don't even know a good night out?

Click here for more details about the show.

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Crazy Art I Saw In Belgium - Part 2

I'm no art expert at all.  Sure I make art all the time, but frankly I have no idea what's good art and what's bad art. I just make things that I like and hope others feel the same way.  On my recent trip to Belgium I came across a lot of art, and much of this art was a little strange to me.  I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just saying that I don't understand the narrative that the artist was trying to get across.

This piece confused me because I really couldn't tell if it was a full statue, or a bust with feet.  In Greece they have busts that feature on the head and the genitals, so I thought this might be something similar.  The shape of the stand made me think it was a full statue, but then I couldn't figure out why the arms are missing.

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Crazy Art I Saw In Belgium - Part 1

I'm no art expert at all.  Sure I make art all the time, but frankly I have no idea what's good art and what's bad art. I just make things that I like and hope others feel the same way.  On my recent trip to Belgium I came across a lot of art, and much of this art was a little strange to me.  I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just saying that I don't understand the narrative that the artist was trying to get across.

Modern art for the most part confuses me, or at the very least the message it tries to convey confuses me.  I often like what I see, but I just don't understand why it was made, or why it might represent social injustice.  This mishmash of brightly coloured wood is a perfect example of this.

This blob of wooden sticks looks pretty cool covering the street.  I noticed it from several blocks away and walked out of my way to check it out.

I'm not sure what it represents or why it was built, but I wasn't disappointed or offended by it.

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Time-laps and Space... Yup That's Awesome

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

I love this video and could watch it all day long, in fact, I think I will.

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Signs I Like

 "Do not step on the ancient remains".

 Speaking of ancient, I love these old fashion signs from days of yore.

Nur Fur?

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Chris's Etiquette Tips

Holy crap that's weird!  This is generally not a good thing to say at any point at a formal  party or in public.  If you happen to find yourself in a strange situation, meeting a strange person, seeing strange art, or eating strange food, it's a good idea to have a "safe expression of fear".  Teach yourself to use this expression all of the time, even at home.  "Hey, that's different", or "Interesting", goes over much better in these situations.  If you practice your "safe expression of fear" at home, in no time it will become second nature.  This will be handy because strange things don't often come announced, and you wouldn't want to offend.

I've got a bunch more etiquette tips on the way.

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Senses Will Be Showing In Athens On December 7th!

Seriously, if you find yourself in Athens on December 7th why not stop by the premier showing of my photographic/mixed media show called "Senses".  If you mention this blog post I'll give you a hug and a gummy bear for coming.

Click here for more information about the show.

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Signs I Like

 I sometimes wonder why people put this kind of artwork up in the streets when it could be hung in a gallery.

 I'm not making fun of the German language, but when you read it in English it's hilarious.

A sign of the times here in Athens.

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Chris's Etiquette Tips

Do you have trouble remembering peoples names, I sure do.  That is why I have a large collection of expressions that can substitute for names.  The expression more people least suspect as being an excuse that you forgot their name, is the playful use of the word "Sir" or "Mam" (Not Mum, but "Mam" as in "ham").  It's both respectful and fun, at the same time.  Another option is to study the proper use of official titles.  If you happen to be at a party full of judges, "your honor" is always fun, political types always like "your excellency".  You can also go more casual with the title, such as President, or you Majesty...

I'll have more excellent etiquette tips later.

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Cotton

This weekend I saw a cotton field, a cotton truck, and cotton farmers.  The farmers where harvesting the cotton with giant cotton combines.  They would then load the cotton trucks that would drive away littering the roads with cotton balls.  This weekend I got to see where q-tips, t-shirts, and makeup cleaning puff balls are grown.  Is this a little strange, or is it just me?

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Senses Will Be Showing In Athens On December 7th!

Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell that strange guy that keeps staring at you in the donut shop, December 7th at 7:30 at the Canadian Institute in Greece, my art show "Senses" will premier.

Click here for more information.

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The Oracle Peed Here... Well Close To Here

In ancient times many famous people passed through Delphi.  Now, in the future, I have too, I also made a pit stop at a couple of places as well.

Isn't history fun?

Click here to check out some new bathrooms on the bathrooms I've been to map.

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